The story took place on June 8, 2005, at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran. Under the watchful eyes of 80,000 spectators, the Iranian team defeated Bahrain 1-0 with Nosrati's 48th-minute goal, and qualified for the World Cup in Germany after eight years. Azadi Stadium, the home of the No. 1 Devil in Asia, is comparable to Maracana in Brazil and Wembley in the United Kingdom. The Iranian team has a high winning rate here. Few of the visiting teams who come to the game can adapt psychologically: The frantic shouts of Iranian men, the sloping stands, and even the portraits of Khomeini and Khamenei on the pitch are all "threats" to the visiting team. The Azadi Stadium had a record attendance of 128,000 in the games between Iran and Australia.
The first female fan to appear was very silent during the progress of the film, and finally she revealed the reason. She came to the stadium for a friend who died in the match between Japan and Iran, and wanted to use the victory of the Iranian team to pay homage to her spirit in heaven. Jafar Panahi set up a very amazing foreshadowing here, which appeared at the end of the film, sublimating the theme: football has nothing to do with life and death, football is higher than life and death. Shankly's words appeared in the film, and also appeared in the mouth of the female fan who was wearing a police uniform. In the end, Iran's victory drove Tehran into a frenzy, and people forgot all Islamic rules and celebrated wildly. Madavikia, Aridei and Karimi are driving Iran crazy again.
The policeman who worships Hoddad in the film, his mental activity is a dark line, has been inclined to football. From the strict discipline of the female fans, to the decision to take one of them to the men's toilet, to building an antenna for everyone on the bus to listen to the radio, until finally being pulled off the bus by the crazy fans to celebrate together: Iranians are crazy about football, Visible.
Two years ago, when I was in Shiraz, a waitress in the hotel restaurant told me that she came to work here to save enough money to go to Russia to watch the World Cup. Of course, Iran's economic level is seriously lagging behind, coupled with US sanctions, it is very difficult to realize this dream. Later, I didn't ask her if she was successful, I don't think so, she didn't share anything about the World Cup in Russia on her instagram. She said to me at the time, "Since the Iranian government does not allow women to go to the stadium, then we will go abroad to watch football. This is my dream." Talking about the players of the current Asian team, Iran, she is familiar with all the players from Taremi to Azmoun, from Jahan Bakshi to Ezzatolahi...
At the end of the film, Tehran is on fire, which reminds me of Italy after winning the World Cup in 2006, Spain after winning the World Cup in 2010, and Germany after winning the World Cup in 2014. The whole country is crazy. Iran seems to have returned to the Pahlavi Dynasty overnight. The Persians still have Westernized ideas and ideals to connect with the world. They are crazy about football. Football, with its special power, can unite a country, stop a war, and let the Iranians who live under Islam forget all taboos, sing and dance.
Tehran on June 8, 2005, fire tree silver flower.
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